Communication control method, network apparatus, and base station

Abstract

A communication control method is a method in which a neighboring cell # 1 supplements a coverage of an OFF target cell # 2 by increasing transmission power of the neighboring cell # 1 , when setting the OFF target cell # 2 to an OFF state. The communication control method comprises: a step A of informing, by a UE 100 connected to the OFF target cell # 2 , the OFF target cell # 2 of neighboring cell received power that is received power of a radio signal from the neighboring cell # 1 ; and a step B of deciding, by a server 400 that acquires the neighboring cell received power via the OFF target cell # 2 , on the basis of the acquired neighboring cell received power, an amount of increase in transmission power of the neighboring cell # 1.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication control method in which a neighboring cell supplements a coverage of an OFF target cell by increasing transmission power of the neighboring cell, when setting the OFF target cell to an OFF state, comprising:
 a step A of acquiring, by a network apparatus, from a user terminal connected to the OFF target cell, neighboring cell received power that is received power of a radio signal from the neighboring cell; and 
 a step B of deciding, by the network apparatus, on the basis of the neighboring cell received power, an amount of increase in transmission power of the neighboring cell. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication control method according to  claim 1 , wherein when a plurality of user terminals connect to the OFF target cell,
 in the step A, the network apparatus acquires the neighboring cell received power from each of the plurality of user terminals, and 
 in the step B, the network apparatus decides, on the basis of the neighboring cell received power acquired for each of the plurality of user terminals, an amount of increase in transmission power of the neighboring cell such that all of the plurality of user terminals are included into a coverage of the neighboring cell. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the neighboring cell is managed by a first base station,
 the OFF target cell is managed by a second base station, and 
 the network apparatus is a server that is capable of performing communication with the first base station and the second base station. 
 
     
     
       4. The communication control method according to  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
 notifying, by the network apparatus, the first base station of power control information indicating the decided amount of increase in transmission power of the neighboring cell; and 
 increasing, by the first base station that has received the power control information, transmission power of the neighboring cell on the basis of the received power control information. 
 
     
     
       5. The communication control method according to  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
 notifying, by the network apparatus, the first base station of information indicating a power up time that is the time at which the neighboring cell is to increase transmission power; and 
 notifying, by the network apparatus, the second base station of information indicating an OFF time that is the time at which the OFF target cell is to be set to an OFF state. 
 
     
     
       6. The communication control method according to  claim 5 , wherein the OFF target cell and the neighboring cell belong to the same frequency, and
 the power up time and the OFF time are set to approximately the same time. 
 
     
     
       7. The communication control method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
 increasing, by the first base station, transmission power of the neighboring cell at the power up time; 
 setting, by the second base station, the OFF target cell to an OFF state at the OFF time; and 
 performing, by the user terminal connected to the OFF target cell, handover from the OFF target cell to the neighboring cell. 
 
     
     
       8. A network apparatus in which a neighboring cell, which neighbors an OFF target cell, supplements a coverage of the OFF target cell by increasing transmission power of the neighboring cell, when setting the OFF target cell to an OFF state, wherein
 the network apparatus
 acquires neighboring cell received power of a user terminal notified from a user terminal connected to the OFF target cell via the OFF target cell, and 
 decides an amount of increase in transmission power of the neighboring cell on the basis of the acquired neighboring cell received power, and 
 
 the neighboring cell received power is received power of a radio signal from the neighboring cell. 
 
     
     
       9. A base station of which transmission power is allowed to increase, wherein
 an increase in the transmission power is based on neighboring cell received power of a user terminal connected to a cell other than a cell managed by the base station, 
 the neighboring cell received power includes received power of a radio signal from a cell managed by the base station, 
 the neighboring cell neighbors the cell, and 
 the neighboring cell received power is received power of a radio signal from the neighboring cell.